The 2013 Starstruck Classic final field has been released; with Red Hot Sax and Rose Of Choice set to carry the top-weight of 58kg in the Listed event over 1600 metres at Ascot on Saturday.
Red Hot Sax (barrier six) is chasing her first race win at Listed level since she recorded a narrow win in the Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) and performed strongly in the Group 3 Western Australia Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 Western Australian Guineas (1600m) during the 2011 Perth Summer Racing Carnival.
The Saxon mare starred her 2013 summer campaign with a fair performance behind classy sprinter Smoko in the Taipa at Ascot but failed to fire when stepped up in class to contest the Listed Jungle Mist Classic (1200m).
Red Hot Sax returned to her best form with a second place finish behind Rose Of Choice in the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m) and will meet her rival one and a half kilos better in the Starstruck Classic this weekend.
The well-bred Rose Of Choice (barrier one) has recorded seven wins from just thirteen career starts and finished her winter campaign with three straight victories at Belmont Park and Ascot.
The Choisir mare returned to the races with a second place finish behind Rouge Dior in the Jungle Mist Classic before returning to the winners stall with a comfortable two and a half lengths victory in the Jungle Mist Classic.
Rose Of Choice will face a similar field in the Starstruck Classic this weekend; with Darlington Abbey (barrier eight), Bippo No Bungus (barrier four), Dark Delight (barrier five) and The Other Harv (barrier ten) all backing up in the Listed event.
The only other mare in the Starstruck Classic final field that is taking winning form into the race is Kellie Kersley-trained Doubt You Catch Me who will be stepping up to Listed level for the first time in her racing career after doing the majority of her past racing in Kalgoorlie and Pinjarra.
The Redoutable mare broke through for her first race win with a narrow victory over Keep On Dancin’ and Long Knife in the GHD Handicap (1000m) at Ascot on December 11 and will carry 54.5kg from barrier 12 this weekend.
The full 2013 Starstruck Classic Final Field can be found in the table below.
The Cox Stakes is the feature race in Australia this weekend and you can find the latest betting market at Ladbrokes.com.au.
The leading online bookmaker is offering new customers a free bet worth up to $250 that can be used to back the winner of the Cox Stakes, Starstruck Classic or any other race!
2013 Starstruck Classic Final Field
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 531231×402 | RED HOT SAX | David Harrison | – | 6 | 58kg |
| 2 | 8x33111x21 | ROSE OF CHOICE | Bruce Watkins & Gary Hitchcock | Peter Hall | 1 | 58kg |
| 3 | 3x29x24594 | DARLINGTON ABBEY | Simon A Miller | Jason Brown | 8 | 56.5kg |
| 4 | 884625×000 | THE OTHER HARV | Alan Mathews | Troy Turner | 10 | 55kg |
| 5 | 2720×41517 | ANGEL ROSE | Stephen Miller | – | 11 | 54.5kg |
| 6 | 2214×56332 | BALMONT GIRL | Paula Wagg | Shaun O’Donnell | 9 | 54.5kg |
| 7 | 454×471646 | BIPPO NO BUNGUS | Neville Parnham | Steven Parnham | 4 | 54.5kg |
| 8 | 8111×2220 | DARK DELIGHT | Grant Williams | William Pike | 5 | 54.5kg |
| 9 | x9509x07x1 | DOUBT YOU CATCH ME | Kellie Kersley | Daniel Staeck | 12 | 54.5kg |
| 10 | 7321373×00 | EVEN ASTAR | Neville Parnham | Brad Parnham | 2 | 54.5kg |
| 11 | x845481709 | PASSION CANTATA | Paul Jordan | Craig Staples | 3 | 54.5kg |
| 12 | 123535×302 | READY ON TIME | Fred Kersley | – | 14 | 54.5kg |
| 13 | 127010×556 | ROSALIE (NZ) | Bart & James Cummings | Jason Whiting | 13 | 54.5kg |
| 14 | 3543376×70 | STAY LADY STAY | Joe Byrne | – | 7 | 54.5kg |
